Part of the annual celebration of live music that is Queensland Music Trails, Brisbane music festival Sweet Relief! returns in 2024 for its sophomore edition.
American R&B, hip hop artist Kelis will headline the event, that lands at Ballymore Stadium on 7 September, bringing such global hits as 'Milkshake', 'Trick Me', 'Bossy', and 'Millionaire' to the yard.The genre-breaking musician, who also has mad entrepreneurial skills having diversified her brand into the fashion and culinary worlds with a massive social media presence, will present a keynote at this year's BIGSOUND (5 September).
She'll discuss her career that has seen her collaborate with the likes of Calvin Harris and Ashnikko, recognised at the Brit Awards, Q Awards, NME Awards, and Grammy Awards as well as becoming a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef with cooking specials on Netflix and her own cookbook, 'My Life On A Plate'.
"QLD Music Trails is dedicated to enriching the cultural identity of Queensland," Daryl Raven, CEO of QMF, says. "With the backing of the Queensland Government, we're proud to champion our diverse music community.
"Sweet Relief! provides a stage where homegrown talent can stand alongside global icons. We're turning up the volume and proving that music is unstoppable. This is our moment to unite, celebrate, and let the music do the talking."
Set to join Kelis at Sweet Relief! will be Australian electronic music pioneers The Presets, who bring a rich catalogue of dance-floor bangers to the mix (including 'My People', 'Ghosts', 'Talk Like That' and 'This Boys In Love') alongside seven ARIA Awards and four studio albums.
The remainder of the line-up features emerging artists paving their own path. After competing at Eurovision 2024 as well as appearing on stages at World Pride Festival, Treaty Day Out, AFL Grand Final, and the Australian Open, Electric Fields fuse living traditional Aboriginal culture with electronic music.
An electro-pop-rap manifesto, Haiku Hands are the Australian collective of Claire and Mie Nakazawa and Beatrice Lewis whose live show is a fusion of Scissor Sisters, Azealia Banks, Björk, and Warhol.
With a knack for dance-floor moments, DAMEEEELA bends genres to create distinct collages of sound, while JUNO are an emerging funky pop duo know for their hits 'Come Thru' and 'Sunburn'; their newest single is the saucy 'I'm The Man'.
"With Kelis in attendance alongside some fantastic local talent at the iconic Ballymore stadium, this will be a concert experience to remember," Tourism Minister Michael Healy says. "Through Tourism and Events Queensland, we made a commitment to bringing global singer-songwriter Kelis to Brisbane, which is a major coup for the city's music scene.
"Sweet Relief! will provide music lovers an excuse to extend their stay in this great city following BIGSOUND's annual takeover of Fortitude Valley.
"The Miles Government invested $20 million in the Queensland Music Trails to help propel the state's profile as a music and entertainment destination while boosting visitor numbers and supporting good Queensland jobs."
Tickets on sale from 11am (local time) on 7 June.
Sweet Relief! takes place at Ballymore Stadium (Brisbane) 7 September.
Sweet Relief! 2024 Line-up
Kelis (exclusive)The Presets (live)
Electric Fields
Haiku Hands
DAMEEEELA
JUNO
Aunty Stan
Baby Paws
IXARAS
Luke Brazier
Medjanit
Miles Nauru
Faustina 'Fuzzy' Agolley* MC duties
